England finished a memorable Women’s Ashes on a high note, beating Australia by 69 runs at Taunton to draw the multi-format series 8-8.
Nat Sciver-Brunt’s glorious 129, a record fourth one-day international century against Australia’s women’s team, helped England to a formidable total of 285/9.
Kate Cross then took three vital wickets as Australia – chasing a revised target of 269 in 44 overs after a rain break – were bowled out for 199.
Although England could not regain the Ashes after their agonising defeat at the Ageas Bowl on Sunday, the victory at Taunton means they have beaten the world champions in both the T20 and ODI series.
08:31 PM BST
Watch England celebrate their ODI series victory
08:25 PM BST
Heather Knight reflects on a thrilling series
08:24 PM BST
The player of the match is Nat Sciver-Brunt
08:07 PM BST
England post-match reaction
Kate Cross
It feels really special. The T20 series win was the start of it, and although we couldn’t retain the Ashes today it was our goal to win and take the ODI series. I’m really proud of the girls, especially after the rain break when it could have gone either way.
We feel like we’re closing the gap. It’s 8-8 and it doesn’t quite feel fair that the Ashes are going back to Australia. We’ve played some really good cricket and gone toe to toe with the best team in the world for five weeks. There are a lot of happy faces over there and it’s thoroughly deserved.
Lauren Bell
It’s been a rollercoaster, an unbelievable series, but I love it and I hope I can keep doing it for England. I’ve had Crossy by my side to pick me up a couple of times! We work well today and we keep each other going. Today we drew a smiley face on the pitch because we said cricket can’t not make us smile.
The crowds have really inspired us. We’ve seen so many boys and girls and both teams have put on a show in almost every game. They’ve got us over the line a few times.
07:59 PM BST
The final Ashes score: England 8-8 Australia
England look the happier team, a reflection of this occasionally confusing multiformat series. Australia have retained the Ashes, which was first, second and third on their list of priorities when they arrived, but they have also shown unusual vulnerability in white-ball cricket. In the end they needed that Test victory at Trent Bridge, which feels forever ago, to keep England at bay.
Here’s a quick recap of a classic series.
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One-off Test England 0-1 Australia (4 pts for a win)
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T2OIs England 2-1 Australia (2 pts for a win)
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ODIs England 2-1 Australia (2 pts for a win)
07:55 PM BST
England win by 69 runs and draw the Ashes 8-8!
Wicket! Jonassen c Bell b Dean 5 That’s it! Jonassen slices Dean to short third, where Bell takes a comfortable catch. Heather Knight clenches her fist in delight, and then the whole team embrace. England did not regain the Ashes – but they have beaten Australia, the world champions, in both the ODI and T20I series. And they played a huge part in perhaps the greatest women’s series of all time. FOW: 199 all out
07:52 PM BST
OVER 35: AUS 197/9 (Jonassen 4 Schutt 0)
An 8-8 draw feels about right in this multiformat series. Australia deservedly retained the Ashes, but England have made giant strides against a team that looked invincible two or three weeks ago. They are about to become the first side to beat Australia in an ODI series since 2013.
07:49 PM BST
Wicket!!
King c Jones b Bell 0 Lauren Bell strikes in the first over of a new spell! It might be a short spell too. King clouts a length ball miles in the air, and Amy Jones takes a simple catch. FOW: 194/9
07:46 PM BST
OVER 34: AUS 192/8 (Jonassen 2 King 0)
A wicket maiden from Charlie Dean, whose figures look a whole better than they did five minutes ago: 6-1-35-1.
07:45 PM BST
Wicket!!
Sutherland b Dean 18 England are hurrying to victory. Sutherland is bowled by the new bowler Charlie Dean, pushing peculiarly down the wrong line. Actually, replays suggest she might have yorked herself. Either way, England are two wickets away from drawing this series. FOW: 192/8
07:43 PM BST
OVER 33: AUS 192/7 (Sutherland 18 Jonassen 2)
Jones takes the ball really close to the stumps, with very little give, and that buys her a crucial split-second to produce stumpings. Had she taken that slightly further back, like most keepers, Wareham would have been safe.
07:40 PM BST
Wicket!!
Wareham st Jones b Sciver-Brunt 14 Amy Jones has produced another delightful stumping, this time while standing up to Nat Sciver-Brunt. Georgia Wareham missed a drive on the up, dragging her back foot out of the crease in the process, and Jones took the bails off with dizzying speed. She barely even celebrated. I suppose, for her, it was almost a routine stumping; for most it would have been a career highlight. FOW: 190/7
07:37 PM BST
OVER 32: AUS 189/6 (Sutherland 17 Wareham 14)
Gardner’s cameo has brought the required rate down to just over a run a ball. Ecclestone applies some pressure with another superb over: four singles, two dots. She has two overs left to bowl, and Australia need 80 from 72 balls.
“The crowd here at Taunton are applauding every dot ball at the moment,” writes Fiona Tomas at Taunton. “They know this is going down to the wire, which has been a feature of the white-ball fixtures in this gripping series.”
07:35 PM BST
OVER 31: AUS 185/6 (target 269 from 44; Sutherland 16 Wareham 11)
Australia’s plan will be to take this deep and try to punish England’s less experienced bowlers, Bell and Dean, at the back end of the innings. They still need to bowl at least three overs between them.
This game certainly isn’t over. Sutherland turns a reasonable over into a good one for Australia by cuffing Sciver-Brunt’s last ball back over her head for four.
07:31 PM BST
OVER 30: AUS 176/6 (target 269 from 44; Sutherland 12 Wareham 6)
Ecclestone replaces Cross, whose burst after the rain break put England on top. After the usual singles early in the over, Sutherland is beaten trying to pull a length delivery that only just misses both the bottom edge and the off stump.
07:28 PM BST
OVER 29: AUS 172/6 (Sutherland 10 Wareham 4)
Sciver-Brunt returns to the attack and is worked for six runs. Australia bat so deep: the No8 is Georgia Wareham, whose 28-run over was decisive on Sunday. Australia need 97 from 90 balls.
07:26 PM BST
OVER 28: AUS 166/6 (Sutherland 8 Wareham 1)
That was a thrilling knock from Gardner: 41 from 24 balls, including 26 from the last 11. There was no slogging at all, just devastating clean hitting.
07:25 PM BST
Wicket!!
Gardner run out 41 There’s a huge roar from the England players when the big screen shows that Ash Gardner has been run out. She was taking England apart, and had hit Cross for two more boundaries earlier in the over. But she hesitated when turning for a second run and was just short of her ground when Cross collected Wyatt’s superb throw from deep cover and broke the stumps. FOW: 165/6
07:19 PM BST
OVER 27: AUS 155/5 (Gardner 32 Sutherland 7)
So much for not hitting boundaries. Gardner plays one of the shots of the entire Ashes, check-driving Bell back over her head for six. She is such a dangerous player, and England’s aggressive move to bring Bell back into the attack hasn’t worked.
Gardner hits another six two balls later, pulling flat and hard over midwicket, and then nails a pull behind square for four. A quick single allows her to keep strike – and makes it 17 from the over.
07:15 PM BST
OVER 26: AUS 138/5 (Gardner 15 Sutherland 7)
Australia have no time for dot balls, so Gardner and Sutherland are playing themselves in with low-risk ones and the occasional two. Five singles from Cross’s over, and Gardner has moved to 15 from 13 without recourse to boundaries. Australia need 131 from 108 balls.
07:12 PM BST
OVER 25: AUS 133/5 (Gardner 12 Sutherland 5)
Heather Knight is going in for the kill. She brings back Lauren Bell in place of Charlie Dean, who was bowling tidily but without much wicket-taking threat.
No joy in the first over, which is worked for seven runs – none in boundaries – by Gardner and Sutherland.
07:08 PM BST
OVER 24: AUS 126/5 (Gardner 6 Sutherland 4)
Annabel Sutherland drives Cross straight down the ground for four, a helluva way to get off the mark. There’s a big LBW appeal when Sutherland jumps across the crease, but it was just going past leg stump.
07:05 PM BST
Wicket!!
Mooney c Ecclestone b Cross 16 Kate Cross has surely won this game for England by taking two huge wickets in the space of four balls. Australia have been a bit frantic since the resumption, and now Beth Mooney has gone. She thumped Cross straight to mid-off, where Sophie Ecclestone took a comfortable catch. Cross has quite a collection of wickets today: Healy, Perry, Mooney. FOW: 120/5
07:04 PM BST
OVER 23: AUS 120/4 (Mooney 16 Gardner 5)
Dean is rushing through her overs and seems happy enough to go for a run a ball. That’s fair enough, especially as the required rate is now above seven an over. Australia need 149 from 126 balls.
07:01 PM BST
OVER 22: AUS 114/4 (Mooney 15 Gardner 1)
Perry played beautifully to make 53 off 58 balls. She ends the multi-format series with 401 runs, three behind the leading scorer Nat Sciver-Brunt. Only Beth Mooney (362*) can overtake her now.
07:00 PM BST
Wicket!!!
Perry c Capsey b Cross 53 A huge wicket for England! Cross replaces Capsey, and the two combine to dismiss Ellyse Perry. She tried to whip across the line and got a leading edge that went high in the air towards backward point. Capsey steadied herself to take a simple catch. FOW: 113/4
06:56 PM BST
OVER 21: AUS 112/3 (Perry 53 Mooney 14)
A reasonable over from Charlie Dean is tarnished by a no-ball, which means a free hit. Dean had already collected her cap and was moving to her fielding position when she was told she’d have to bowl the last ball again.
Perry takes advantage, dancing down the track to drive over wide long-on for six. That’s a lovely shot to bring up a superb half-century from 54 balls.
06:51 PM BST
OVER 20: AUS 100/3 (target 269 from 44 overs; Perry 46 Mooney 10)
Capsey concedes three singles from the last four balls of the over she began about an hour ago. With 20 overs bowled in the innings, we’ll definitely have a result one way or another. The DLS par score is 117.
06:49 PM BST
The players are back on the field
Australia will resume on 97/3 from 19.2 overs, with Alice Capsey a third of the way through her first over.
06:44 PM BST
Play to resume at 6.50pm
Despite that little shower, play is on course to resume in just over five minutes. Australia’s revised target is 269 from 44 overs, which means they need 172 runs from 146 balls.
06:34 PM BST
Urgh, it’s raining again
Play was going to resume at 6.50pm, but now the umbrellas have gone back. It’s not particularly heavy, so fingers crossed.
06:23 PM BST
The rain has stopped…
… and the covers are starting to come off. No restart time yet but you’d hope it will be in the next 15-20 minutes.
06:20 PM BST
An impromptu supper break
This from Fiona Tomas at Taunton.
I’m in the queue for a chicken burger and chips (which at £13.50 is marginally cheaper than a plastic glass of Pimm’s here) and the rain is falling heavier than expected. Prospects of a quick restart don’t look great. Heather Knight’s side lost the momentum in their third T20 after the first rain delay and they will be wary of that happening again.
06:08 PM BST
The rain is getting heavier
I still think we’ll get a game, though DLS will probably come into play. Australia need to bat 20 overs to ensure a result one way or another; they’ve faced 19.4.
The DLS score after 20 overs is 117, so England are well ahead.
05:56 PM BST
Rain stops play
The lights are on and so is Alice Capsey, who replaces Ecclestone after an important spell of 5-0-13-1. She manages only two balls before the rain forces the players off the field. It’s not heavy so I think we’ll be fine.
05:54 PM BST
OVER 19: AUS 96/3 (Perry 44 Mooney 8)
Perry laces Dean through extra cover for her sixth four, five of which have come from high-class strokes. Jones tries to stump her off a wide, and again has the bails off in a flash, but Perry’s back foot stayed grounded. Australia need 190 from 186 balls, and I haven’t a clue who’s on top. You are entirely welcome.
05:51 PM BST
OVER 18: AUS 88/3 (Perry 38 Mooney 7)
A rare short ball from Ecclestone is pulled witheringly for four by Perry, who then surprisingly fails to put a low full toss away. Capsey makes a good stop at short fine leg.
Apparently there is some drizzle in the Taunton air. The forecast is okay, though, so any break should be a short one.
05:48 PM BST
OVER 17: AUS 83/3 (Perry 33 Mooney 7)
Charlie Dean rushes through her second over at a cost of only two runs. Australia bat very deep, so any period of consolidation is likely to be fairly brief. Perry has moved to 33 from 39 balls, apparently without taking a risk, and Mooney has 7 from 12.
05:45 PM BST
OVER 16: AUS 81/3 (Perry 32 Mooney 6)
Mooney sweeps Ecclestone for four, an excellent stroke that gives her round one in the battle between the world No1s. Ecclestone pulls the over back with four dot balls in a row to Perry, and that’s drinks.
Australia need 205 from 204 balls, and the smart money is on another thriller.
05:42 PM BST
Watch Tahlia McGrath’s wicket
It was lovely bowling from Sophie Ecclestone, who pushed McGrath to breaking point with a series of dot balls, and more artistry behind the stumps from Amy Jones.
05:40 PM BST
OVER 15: AUS 76/3 (Perry 32 Mooney 1)
The offspinner Charlie Dean comes into the attack for the first time in the ODI series. She’s in the team in place Sarah Glenn, who had her appendix removed after Sunday’s game at the Ageas Bowl.
Perry continues to bat with formidable certainty, walking down the track to crunch a drive between extra cover and mid off. Perfect placement.
05:37 PM BST
OVER 14: AUS 68/3 (Perry 25 Mooney 0)
Beth Mooney is the new batter. Oh and Ecclestone has figures of 3-0-3-1.
05:35 PM BST
Wicket!!
McGrath st Jones b Ecclestone 26 Sophie Ecclestone completes an emphatic working-over of Tahlia McGrath: 11 balls, no runs, one wicket. An increasingly impatient McGrath charged Ecclestone and yorked herself in the process. That allowed Amy Jones, who has a touch of genius behind the stumps, to whip the bails off a flash. Brilliant cricket from England. FOW: 68/3
05:33 PM BST
OVER 13: AUS 67/2 (Perry 24 McGrath 26)
Jones, up to the stumps, does extremely well to stop a leg-side wide going to the boundary. Sciver-Brunt overcompensates next ball and is cut for four by Perry, who is batting with her usual understated authority.
Perry has quietly batted very well in this Ashes series: 99, 25, 7, 51*, 34, 41, 91 and now 24*. That’s 372 runs at an average of 62; only Sciver-Brunt has scored more on either side.
Talking of Sciver-Brunt, she has suddenly lost her radar and bowls two more leg-side wides in a nine-ball over.
05:28 PM BST
OVER 12: AUS 57/2 (Perry 18 McGrath 25)
McGrath survives an LBW appeal after whipping across a quicker ball from Ecclestone. Missing leg I suspect, and Heather Knight decides not to review. Replays confirm as much.
Ecclestone is toying with McGrath, who has faced 10 deliveries from her without scoring a run.
05:25 PM BST
OVER 11: AUS 56/2 (Perry 17 McGrath 25)
Sciver-Brunt and Ecclestone are starting to slow the scoring rate. Australia have scored just seven from the last three overs, having hit 17 from two before that. The upshot is that Australia need 230 runs from 39 overs at just under a run a ball.
05:21 PM BST
OVER 10: AUS 53/2 (Perry 16 McGrath 23)
It’s a big moment in any game when Sophie Ecclestone comes on to bowl, even more so in a runchase like this. She’s right on the money and, after Perry takes a single, bowls five consecutive dot balls to McGrath.
05:18 PM BST
OVER 9: AUS 52/2 (Perry 15 McGrath 23)
The centurion Nat Sciver-Brunt replaces Cross, who bowled a mixed spell of 4-0-25-1. She finds a bit of swing straight away, and an LBW appeal against McGrath is caught in the throat because of an inside-edge. Three from the over.
05:15 PM BST
OVER 8: AUS 49/2 (Perry 13 McGrath 22)
McGrath continues her counter-attack by driving Bell on the up to the cover boundary. She has raced to 22 from 20 balls.
A couple of wides and the usual singles make it an excellent over from Australia, nine from it.
05:11 PM BST
OVER 7: AUS 40/2 (Perry 11 McGrath 17)
McGrath slaps a short ball from Cross to the cover boundary, and then does it again two balls later. Despite the loss of those early wickets, Australia are scoring at almost a run a ball.
05:07 PM BST
OVER 6: AUS 32/2 (Perry 11 McGrath 9)
Perry is cramped for room by a big inswinger from Bell that takes the bottom edge and flies this far wide of leg stump.
A misfield from Cross at mid-on gives Petty a bonus boundary, though Bell is able to laugh it off. She knows that she’s bowling beautifully at the moment.
05:03 PM BST
OVER 5: AUS 27/2 (Perry 7 McGrath 9)
McGrath throws her hands at a very wide delivery from Cross and is beaten. Four from the over, much of which I spent preparing this video of Kate Cross bowling Alyssa Healy.
04:59 PM BST
OVER 4: AUS 23/2 (Perry 7 McGrath 5)
News of Alana King, who went off the field after deflecting the ball onto her face during the England innings. She has a swollen lip and will be fine to bat if needed.
Bell is getting some dangerous inswing to the right-handers. Perry clips two off the pads and then plays around a ball that curves into the pad. It would have missed leg stump. She can be erratic, like most young bowlers, but Bell has so much potential: she’s tall, bowls with good pace and moves the ball in the air and off the seam. If boffins were preparing a seam bowler in a lab…
04:54 PM BST
OVER 3: AUS 21/2 (Perry 5 McGrath 5)
Tahlia McGrath is the new batter, and she gets her first boundary with an efficient clip through midwicket. It’s been a lively start: three overs, three boundaries, two wickets.
04:52 PM BST
Wicket!!!
Healy b Cross 7 That’s an absolute jaffa from Kate Cross! Alyssa Healy is bowled by a wobble-seam delivery that rips through the gate to peg back middle stump. She’s told to hang around, presumably while they check the no-ball, and eventually walks off shaking her head in confusion. FOW: 15/2
04:50 PM BST
OVER 2: AUS 15/1 (Healy 7 Perry 4)
An inswinger from Bell is clipped emphatically for four by the new batter Ellyse Perry.
04:48 PM BST
Wicket!!!
Litchfield c Ecclestone b Bell 1 This is a lovely moment for Lauren Bell. Her final over on Sunday disappeared for 28, so there was always going to a lot of scrutiny on her today. After a nervous start she produced consecutive jaffas to Phoebe Litchfield from round the wicket. The first beat the outside edge; the second found it and was well caught at first slip by Sophie Ecclestone. FOW: 10/1
04:43 PM BST
OVER 1: AUS 7/0 (Healy 6 Litchfield 0)
Cross has two slips for Healy, who accepts the invitation to drive and rifles a boundary through the covers.
A no-ball means a free hit, which Healy drags into the leg side for two. There’s a bit of swing to encourage Cross, and Healy isn’t interested in a tempting wide delivery to end the over.
04:36 PM BST
The players are back on the field
We’re about to find out whether this brilliant multi-format Ashes series will finish England 8-8 Australia or England 6-10 Australia.
Kate Cross will open the bowling to Alyssa Healy…
04:33 PM BST
England’s big finish
04:31 PM BST
By Fiona Tomas at Taunton
So England finish on 285/9. It’s their highest ever ODI score against Australia in this countr, and let’s be honest you couldn’t have predicted they’d reach that after their terrible start. Nat Sciver-Brunt once again proved the heroine with her 129 off 149 and will rightly take all the plaudits if England can bring their bowling ‘A’ game to force a series draw.
We’ve become so used to seeing Australia cruise to victories over England but Heather Knight’s side have more than proved the gap between their rivals is closing. The tourists’ target of 286 will be their second highest successful chase in ODIs if they make it, and their highest against England. Don’t go anywhere!
04:10 PM BST
Australia need 286 to win
Another immense innings from Nat Sciver-Brunt has given England a decent chance of drawing this series. She made 129, her fourth century in five ODI innings against Australia, and had fine support from Heather Knight (67) and Danni Wyatt (43 from 25 balls). Taunton is a good chasing ground, so it feels about 50/50.
We’ll be back shortly for the runchase.
04:08 PM BST
OVER 50: ENG 285/9 (Ecclestone 10)
Wicket!! Cross b Jonassen 4 Kate Cross is bowled by the last ball of the innings, so Australia will need 286 to win the match and the series outright. It would be the second highest runchase in a women’s ODI.
04:05 PM BST
OVER 49: ENG 280/8 (Ecclestone 8 Cross 1)
The new batter Kate Cross charges Gardner and misses, but the ball skids past the leg stump and Alyssa Healy for four byes. Gardner ends a superb afternoon’s work with figures of 10-0-39-3.
04:03 PM BST
England’s standout player
From Fiona Tomas at Taunton
Nat Sciver-Brunt gets a standing ovation and a pat on the back from Australia’s Beth Mooney as she leaves the field. A brilliant innings from England’s vice-captain, who has been the hosts’ standout player in the ODI series.
04:01 PM BST
Wicket!!
Dean LBW b Gardner 2 Charlie Dean is given out on review. She was hit on the boot by a quicker delivery from Gardner, and though Anna Harris gave it not out, replays showed it would have hit leg stump. A third wicket for Gardner, who has been quite brilliant once again. FOW: 274/8
03:59 PM BST
OVER 48: ENG 273/7 (Ecclestone 7 Dean 2)
Sophie Ecclestone sweeps her first ball jauntily for six, then clouts a slog sweep just short of Gardner charging in from the rope.
03:57 PM BST
Wicket!!!
Sciver-Brunt c Gardner b Jonassen 129 Nat Sciver-Brunt is out! After sweeping Jonassen for four, she hoicked the next delivery straight to Gardner at cow corner. She gets a pat on the back from the Australian players and a standing ovation from both the crowd and the England balcony. It was another masterpiece against Australia, 129 from 149 balls, and she’ll hope that this time it ends in victory. FOW: 265/7
03:54 PM BST
OVER 47: ENG 261/6 (Sciver-Brunt 125 Ecclestone 0)
Another decent over for Australia – five runs and the wicket. England need one last push to get close to 300.
03:52 PM BST
Wicket!!!
Jones run out 6 A reverse sweep from Jones is well stopped by King, who is hit in the face when the ball bounces through her fingertips. She is going off the field to receive a bit of treatment.
Darcie Brown comes on as sub – and immediately runs Jones out with a direct hit from point! How’s that for an impact substitute? Jones screwed Gardner to point, was called through by Sciver-Brunt and was a long way short of her ground when Brown’s throw hit the stumps FOW: 258/6
03:48 PM BST
OVER 46: ENG 256/5 (Sciver-Brunt 122 Jones 4)
Both Sciver-Brunt and Jones top-edge sweeps off Jonassen that land safely. A crafty over yields just five runs (and no boundaries) for England.
In other news, this is a great stat from Cricinfo. Since the beginning of the decade, four ODI hundreds have been scored against Australia – all by you know who. Given the quality of the opposition, probably the greatest team in women’s cricket history, that is a quite astonishing achievement.
03:44 PM BST
OVER 45: ENG 251/5 (Sciver-Brunt 119 Jones 2)
Amy Jones is the new batter. England still have an outside chance of 300, especially with Sciver-Brunt at the crease. She drives Gardner’s last ball for four to bring up the England 250.
03:42 PM BST
Wicket!!!
Wyatt b Gardner 43 That’s class from Ash Gardner, who ends Wyatt’s dangerous innings with an immaculate yorker. Wyatt made a blistering 25-ball 43 but Gardner was too good for her in the end. FOW: 244/5
03:37 PM BST
OVER 44: ENG 244/4 (Sciver-Brunt 114 Wyatt 43)
A slightly weary Sciver-Brunt survives a run-out chance after playing tip and run to mid-off. She would have been well short with a direct hit.
The reason she took such a risk was to get the rampant Wyatt on strike. Wyatt walks across to sweep King over square leg for six more, then slices a boundary between short third and backward point.
A sweep for four more from Sciver-Brunt completes a huge over for England: 18 from it.
03:35 PM BST
OVER 43: ENG 226/4 (Sciver-Brunt 109 Wyatt 30)
Wyatt gives herself room to splash Gardner over cover for six. That’s an outrageous shot! Gardner, arguably the player of this multi-format series, recovers impressively with three consecutive dot balls. Doesn’t sound a lot, but it is when Wyatt is in this mood.
Seven overs to go.
03:32 PM BST
OVER 42: ENG 219/4 (Sciver-Brunt 108 Wyatt 24)
Sciver-Brunt chips Wareham over mid-off for two, then drives a single down the ground. For now she is happy to play second fiddle to Wyatt. Quite right too: Wyatt lashes another boundary over extra cover to move to 24 from 16 balls. What a gem of a cricketer she has become: dynamic, selfless and thrilling to watch.
03:29 PM BST
OVER 41: ENG 210/4 (Sciver-Brunt 105 Wyatt 18)
Danni Wyatt always douses her team’s innings in Red Bull, and today is no exception. She hits McGrath for two boundaries in three balls, with a clever steer followed by a swat through square leg, and has raced to 18 from 14 balls.
03:26 PM BST
OVER 40: ENG 198/4 (Sciver-Brunt 105 Wyatt 6)
Sciver-Brunt sweeps a loose ball from Wareham for four more. Now here’s a stat. In her first 18 ODIs against Australia, Sciver-Brunt averaged a respectable 34. In the last five matches she’s averaging 504.
03:23 PM BST
OVER 39: ENG 192/4 (Sciver-Brunt 100 Wyatt 5)
Another wonderful century from Nat Sciver-Brunt! She works McGrath for four and then one to reach three figures against Australia yet again: 126 balls, 11 fours, one six.
It’s her seventh ODI hundred and her fourth in five innings against the best team in the world. Nobody else in women’s cricket history has scored four against Australia in an entire career. Sciver-Brunt has the rarest gift: the ability to go to another level when the pressure and quality of opponent are at their highest. In the simplest terms, she is a genius.
03:18 PM BST
OVER 38: ENG 185/4 (Sciver-Brunt 94 Wyatt 4)
Sciver-Brunt scrambles desperately to make her ground as Litchfield’s throw whistles past the stumps. That would have been really tight with a direct hit.
03:17 PM BST
OVER 37: ENG 179/4 (Sciver-Brunt 92 Wyatt 0)
Sciver-Brunt, who moved into the nineties with a boundary just before Capsey’s dismissal, has been joined by Danni Wyatt.
03:15 PM BST
Wicket!!
Capsey c Sutherland b Jonassen 5 Deja vu for Alice Capsey, who holes out on the leg side for the second time in three days. This time she charged Jonassen and dragged the ball straight to long on to end a confused innings of 5 from 12 balls. It’s all part of her education – she’s only 18 – although her facial expression as she walks off suggests she might not entirely share this view. FOW: 178/4
03:12 PM BST
OVER 36: ENG 173/3 (Sciver-Brunt 86 Capsey 5)
Sciver-Brunt is frustrated with herself after managing only a single off a loopy full toss from King. That’s one of three from the over, and it’s been a little while since England’s last boundary.
03:06 PM BST
OVER 35: ENG 170/3 (Sciver-Brunt 84 Capsey 4)
After another quiet over from Jess Jonassen, it’s time for drinks.
England are still on course for a good total, and this is a decent opportunity for Capsey to learn about the different challenges of batting towards the end of an ODI innings. She has done most of her best work at the start of a T20 innings.
03:03 PM BST
OVER 34: ENG 168/3 (Sciver-Brunt 83 Capsey 3)
A maiden from King to Sciver-Brunt, most of which I missed because I was looking up starts for a potential Sciver-Brunt hundred.
03:02 PM BST
OVER 33: ENG 168/3 (Sciver-Brunt 83 Capsey 3)
A shortish delivery from Schutt is walloped through midwicket for four by Sciver-Brunt, who moves in the eighties. I think Tammy Beaumont (twice) is the only England Women’s player to make ODI centuries in consecutive matches. And nobody from any country has done it against Australia.
02:56 PM BST
OVER 32: ENG 160/3 (Sciver-Brunt 77 Capsey 1)
Alice Capsey is the new batter.
02:55 PM BST
Wicket!!!
Knight b King 67 Godder! Knight charges King, misses and is cleaned up. That was smart bowling from King, a dipping delivery that beat Knight in the flight and evaded her swipe across the line. She goes for a classy, liberated 67 from 72 balls. FOW: 159/3.
02:53 PM BST
OVER 31: ENG 158/2 (Knight 67 Sciver-Brunt 76)
Sciver-Brunt clouts the new bowler Schutt back over her head for four, and then Knight makes room to slash a boundary past short third. This is now England’s highest partnership for any wicket in an ODI against Australia, 146 and counting. The highest in any format, including Tests, is 164 by Enid Bakewell and Lynne Thomas in 1976.
Knight has played quite brilliantly today. She’s being outscored by Sciver-Brunt, but only because she has faced fewer deliveries. She has 67 from 69 balls, Sciver-Brunt 76 from 98.
02:47 PM BST
OVER 30: ENG 149/2 (Knight 63 Sciver-Brunt 71)
The returning Alana King is swept firmly for four by Sciver-Brunt, with four additional singles making it a good over for England.
This partnership is now worth 137, which makes it England’s highest for the third wicket in ODIs against Australia. The record for any wicket is 142.
02:44 PM BST
OVER 29: ENG 141/2 (Knight 61 Sciver-Brunt 65)
Knight is beaten, trying to reverse sweep a faster ball from the canny Gardner. Just two runs from a terrific over.
02:41 PM BST
OVER 28: ENG 139/2 (Knight 61 Sciver-Brunt 64)
Too short from Sutherland, and Sciver-Brunt muscles a familiar pull round the corner for four. A no-ball means a free hit, from which Knight is caught at backward point.
Since the drinks break we’ve had two distinct periods of play: 16 runs from the first six overs, 39 from the last five.
02:36 PM BST
OVER 27: ENG 130/2 (Knight 60 Sciver-Brunt 58)
Gardner on for McGrath, who bowled a useful spell of 5-0-20-0. Sciver-Brunt reverse sweeps a single, one of five from the over. England have played Gardner with plenty of respect this afternoon, dealing almost exclusively in low-risk singles.
02:33 PM BST
OVER 26: ENG 125/2 (Knight 58 Sciver-Brunt 55)
That assault on Wareham has led to a bowling change. Sutherland replaces her and beats Sciver-Brunt with a wide slower ball. Knight then pulls towards deep square leg, where Gardner does superbly to save the boundary. In every facet of the game, Ash Gardner has had an outstanding series.
02:29 PM BST
OVER 25: ENG 120/2 (Knight 55 Sciver-Brunt 54)
Knight works McGrath to the fine leg boundary to bring up a fluent half-century from just 51 balls, with five fours and a six. She often bats in the background, but this has been a strikingly dominant innings.
Oh my, now Sciver-Brunt has been dropped. She crashed the ball straight back at McGrath, who couldn’t hold on to a fairly straightforward chance in her followthrough. I think she beaten by the lack of pace.
02:26 PM BST
OVER 24: ENG 113/2 (Knight 49 Sciver-Brunt 52)
A full toss from Wareham is belted for four by Sciver-Brunt, which brings up another authoritative half-century: 73 balls, 5×4, 1×6.
England needed that boundary after a bit of a drought, and it may signal another change of tempo. Knight charges Wareham’s last ball and swishes an emphatic straight six. Lovely shot.
02:23 PM BST
OVER 23: ENG 100/2 (Knight 42 Sciver-Brunt 46)
Sciver-Brunt works McGrath for a single to bring up the England hundred. Three from the over, which makes it 16 from six since drinks.
02:21 PM BST
OVER 22: ENG 97/2 (Knight 41 Sciver-Brunt 44)
Wareham continues to squeeze England, conceding only two singles from her third over. A long partnerships always has periods like this, so there’s no need for Knight and Sciver-Brunt to try anything funky. Yet.
02:18 PM BST
From Fiona Tomas at Taunton
In Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight England have their two most senior batters at the crease. The pair are building quite a partnership which has stabilised England after losing both openers in the first four overs.
02:18 PM BST
OVER 21: ENG 95/2 (Knight 40 Sciver-Brunt 43)
Another tight over from McGrath, who beats Knight outside off stump in the process. This is a good spell for Australia: since drinks, England have scored only 11 runs from four overs.
02:15 PM BST
OVER 20: ENG 92/2 (Knight 38 Sciver-Brunt 42)
A maiden from Wareham to Sciver-Brunt, which is a fair effort given how well, and how aggressively, Sciver-Brunt has played against the spinners today.
02:13 PM BST
OVER 19: ENG 92/2 (Knight 38 Sciver-Brunt 42)
On Sunday, England found life more difficult against the spinners. Today the seamers have been slightly harder to get away: 46 from 11 overs, as compared to 42 from 8 off the slow bowlers.
02:11 PM BST
OVER 18: ENG 90/2 (Knight 37 Sciver-Brunt 41)
Another fine shot from Knight, who slams the new bowler Georgia Wareham for four. The quality of strokeplay and management of risk in this partnership have been exemplary.
02:04 PM BST
OVER 17: ENG 84/2 (Knight 32 Sciver-Brunt 40)
Gardner off, Tahlia McGrath on. After a quiet over, the players take drinks.
I forgot to say that Sciver-Brunt averages 60 against Australia in ODIs, easily the highest of anybody who has batted at least five times against them.
02:00 PM BST
OVER 16: ENG 80/2 (Knight 30 Sciver-Brunt 38)
Sciver-Brunt chips King stylishly over wide mid-on for four more, and enjoys herself sufficiently that she repeats the stroke later the over. On this occasion it hits the sponge on the full, which means the first six of the innings. She is batting like somebody who made an unbeaten hundred 36 hours ago.
01:55 PM BST
OVER 15: ENG 68/2 (Knight 29 Sciver-Brunt 27)
Sciver-Brunt survives a stumping review after being beaten by Gardner. She was out of her ground for a split second but safe by the time Healy broke the stumps.
01:52 PM BST
OVER 14: ENG 63/2 (Knight 26 Sciver-Brunt 25)
Knight and Sciver-Brunt would love to bat for another 20-25 overs, thereby laying a platform for Alice Capsey and Danni Wyatt to tee off. Before the game, the Sky team suggested a decent score would be around 270.
At the moment they are playing expertly, Knight in particular. She charges King and drives emphatically over mid-off for four. That also brings up the fifty partnership.
01:49 PM BST
OVER 13: ENG 56/2 (Knight 21 Sciver-Brunt 23)
Gardner returns in place of Sutherland, so it’ll be spin from both ends. A straight drive from Sciver-Brunt falls short of Gardner, diving to her left, and there are four singles from the over.
01:47 PM BST
OVER 12: ENG 52/2 (Knight 19 Sciver-Brunt 21)
The legspinner Alana King, who starred on Sunday, replaces Megan Schutt. Sciver-Brunt lunges at a tempting legbreak and is beaten, but later in the over she drives superbly between extra cover and mid-off for four. This is a promising partnership, 40 from eight overs.
01:43 PM BST
OVER 11: ENG 47/2 (Knight 18 Sciver-Brunt 17)
Australia have so many bowling options, almost too many, so Alyssa Healy’s brain will be working overtime. For now she’s happy to continue with Sutherland, whos is milked for four low-risk singles. The end.
01:39 PM BST
OVER 10: ENG 43/2 (Knight 16 Sciver-Brunt 15)
The powerplay ends with a quiet over from Megan Schutt, who has good figures of 5-0-17-1. Australia are slightly ahead, though Knight and Sciver-Brunt are rebuilding well after the loss of those two early wickets. They’ve seen this storyline played out so many times before.
01:36 PM BST
OVER 9: ENG 40/2 (Knight 15 Sciver-Brunt 13)
Sciver-Brunt gets her first deliberate boundary, forcing Sutherland down the ground. Knight does likewise later in the over, though hers was an even better shot, just a lovely piece of timing.
These two usually bat well together, with an average ODI partnership of 44. Only the great pair of Charlotte Edwards and Sarah Taylor have scored more runs together for England in this format.
01:31 PM BST
OVER 8: ENG 31/2 (Knight 11 Sciver-Brunt 8)
Schutt continues, as you’d expect while the new ball is swinging into the right-handers. Alyssa Healy has placed two short midwickets for Sciver-Brunt, just like Allan Border did for Graham Gooch in 1989.
Sciver-Brunt ignores them and drags the ball square for a single; then Schutt has a strangled shout for LBW against Knight. It was missing leg.
01:26 PM BST
OVER 7: ENG 28/2 (Knight 10 Sciver-Brunt 7)
A no-ball from Sutherland means a free hit for Sciver-Brunt. She makes room to cuff it towards extra cover, where the diving Litchfield saves three runs with a superb stop.
Sciver-Brunt has two moments of fortune later in the over – an inside-edge over the stumps for four and a leading edge that drops short of the onrushing fielders. Batting looks fairly tricky at the moment.
01:23 PM BST
OVER 6: ENG 19/2 (Knight 8 Sciver-Brunt 1)
A half-volley from Schutt is driven sweetly to the cover boundary by Knight, who has started confidently.
Sciver-Brunt, who has been more watchful, pats her sixth delivery into the covers to get off the mark. Even after six overs, this feels like a vital partnership for England.
01:19 PM BST
OVER 5: ENG 13/2 (Knight 3 Sciver-Brunt 0)
Ash Gardner’s work is done for now. Annabel Sutherland, the young allrounder, replaces her and concedes just a single to Knight.
Here’s Fiona Tomas at Taunton.
Naturally I just jinxed Beaumont, whose paltry four off seven balls means England have a massive West Country rebuilding job on their hands if they are to draw this series. At 13/2 this has been a calamitous start for England.
01:16 PM BST
OVER 4: ENG 12/2 (Knight 2 Sciver-Brunt 0)
Nat Sciver-Brunt, the doomed hero of the Ageas Bowl, is the new batter.
01:15 PM BST
Wicket!!
Beaumont b Schutt 4
Beaumont, who has been starved of the strike early on, gets off the mark with a fierce pull for four. I doubt Schutt will bowl any more on that length, not least because the ball is swinging prodigiously when she pitches it up. And there you are! Beaumont charges Schutt and is bowled by a booming inswinger that brushes the inside edge and rams into middle and leg. Beaumont falls over in the process and ends up doing the splits. FOW: 12/2
01:12 PM BST
From Fiona Tomas at Taunton
Worth pointing out that Tammy Beaumont’s highest ODI total was at this ground against Pakistan in 2016, when she hit 168. She might need to pull off another big score with Sophia Dunkley’s premature exit.
01:11 PM BST
OVER 3: ENG 8/1 (Beaumont 0 Knight 2)
Despite the loss of an early wicket, it’s Heather Knight rather than Alice Capsey who comes in at No3. She drives her first ball pleasantly for two to get off the mark.
01:09 PM BST
Wicket!!
Dunkley c Litchfield b Gardner 2 Sophia Dunkley has been put out of her misery by a fine catch from Phoebe Litchfield. Dunkley sliced Gardner high in the air on the off side, with Litchfield running back towards the boundary to take a beautifully judged catch. Dunkley goes for a 13-ball 2; it’s been a bit of an Ashes horribilis for her. FOW: 6/1
01:06 PM BST
OVER 2: ENG 6/0 (Dunkley 2 Beaumont 0)
Plenty of early inswing for Megan Schutt – too much when her second delivery goes for four leg byes. Dunkley is straining a little, understandably given her poor form, and mistimes a couple of attacking strokes.
01:03 PM BST
OVER 1: ENG 1/0 (Dunkley 1 Beaumont 0)
Australia start with spin, Ash Gardner to be precise. This is a good move against Sophia Dunkley, who has had a difficult series with the bat: just one fifty from seven innings so far. Gardner concedes a single off the last delivery.
The highlight of the over was the umpire Anna Harris taking a tumble as she tried to backpedal after the fifth delivery. She gets straight to her feet with a smile on her facee.
12:58 PM BST
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12:56 PM BST
Nat Sciver-Brunt talks to Sky Sports
I’m still a bit… disappointed I guess. Obviously [shakes her head] happy with my performance, but I’d be a lot happier if we were on the winning side! We had a little bus journey down to Taunton – we had a birthday cake [for Sophia Dunkley] and had some music on and chatted with each other. We didn’t want to dwell on the game so it was good to get that done and rest yesterday.
[On her outstanding big-game record] I guess I want to be at my best against the best teams, and I’ve managed to do that quite a lot against Australia recently. I don’t really know why: it’s a bit of a mindset shift, and knowing what I’m capable of really. I guess it just sort of happened the other day. I was just batting and I looked up and I was on 40. It seemed to happen quite naturally.
When it gets tight towards the end you have to do a bit more thinking about where you can get your runs, whether you can get back on strike or whatever it is. There are different elements to it.
We know what this match means. It was important to park the emotion of Sunday so that we could reset and come again today. It’s been a really special series.
[On her knee] It’s fine. It’s felt pretty good since I had an injection after the Test match. I’ve still been taping it – my skin isn’t enjoying that too much, so I’ll be glad to have a break after this game.
12:47 PM BST
This is England ’23
It’s not just on the field that this has been one of the great Ashes series. In terms of future participation, the 2023 Ashes may prove even more significant than the 2017 World Cup.
12:43 PM BST
The weather
It feels like we’ve spent the last month gawping at weather apps. It’s windy and a bit cloudy at Taunton – but it’s dry, most importantly, and the forecast is pretty good for the rest of the day.
12:39 PM BST
Team news: Dean in for injured Glenn
Sarah Glenn has had her appendix out, so the offspinner Charlie Dean comes into the team. That’s the only change on either side from the match at the Ageas Bowl.
England Dunkley, Beaumont, Capsey, Knight (c), Sciver-Brunt, Wyatt, Jones (wk), Ecclestone, Dean, Cross, Bell.
Australia Healy (c/wk), Litchfield, Perry, Mooney, McGrath, Gardner, Sutherland, King, Jonassen, Wareham, Schutt.
12:35 PM BST
Australia win the toss and bowl
After a bit of a mix-up – she thought she’d lost the toss – Alyssa Healy says Australia will field first. Heather Knight would have done the same.
12:10 PM BST
Good afternoon
Hello and welcome to Telegraph Sport’s live coverage of the final match of an exhilarating women’s Ashes. While it’s not an abuse of language to say England still have something to play for, there is a profound feeling of anticlimax going into this third ODI at Taunton. Had England sneaked over the line in Southampton on Sunday instead of losing by three runs, today’s match would be an Ashes decider. And England would be one win away from one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history.
Jess Jonassen kept her nerve in the final over, alas, and a relieved Australia retained the Ashes with a match to spare. For the second time in 18 months, Nat Sciver-Brunt experienced the peculiar feeling of making an epic unbeaten hundred against Australia in a losing cause.
England can still draw this Ashes series, something they haven’t managed against Australia since 2017-18. It would be a fine achievement for an emerging side, especially after they were 6-0 down in the multiformat series. Two weeks ago we were starting to wonder if England’s older players would ever win a game against Australia again.
They recovered to win the T20 series 2-1, and victory today would give them a similar result in the ODIs. Even though they are part of a bigger picture, one painted in green and gold, England are very keen to win these individual series. They’ve made such great strides in the past fortnight, and an 8-8 scoreline would be a fair reflection of a series in which every game has been close. Even a 10-6 defeat, though undesirable, would be an improvement on the 12-4 beatings in the last two Ashes.
In short, today’s game matters. It just doesn’t matter anywhere near as much as we all hoped.
The match begins at 1pm GMT, and we’ll have the toss and team news shortly.
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